Blog Archives

10 Best Jai Moments Of 2011

I want to take a few moments to thank all of you who have read, commented and kept up with my fun and crazy blog. Blogging can be a lonely road but you make it all worth it. Plus it doesn't hurt to get paid from Google Adsense from time to time. In any event, here are some of my best moments that happened to me in 2011.

10. Doubling my adsense from 2010. Hold on to your seats. I made a whopping $331 in 2011 from ads. Hey last year I made a little more than $100 so not a bad jump in coffee money over the last 12 months.

9. Photographed the Zeta Tau Alpa initiation group photo. This was the 1st year that this 113 year old sorority joined forces with NYU and yours truly was the photographer. Don't tell my wife it's an all girls sorority.

8. Guest starred in the web-series Sound Advice with J Teddy Garces. This off the wall web-series will be making an appearance at a computer near you soon.

7. Placed 2nd for photo of the week by the Digital Photography School. The theme was fatherhood. Once you see the photo you will see why my tired ass was top 3 of over 70,000 subscribers.

6. Wrote, produced and acted in the film Perfect Excuses. Andre Hereford was the director and Melanie Torres was my co-star. The film will be submitted to several festivals in 2012 without any excuses no matter how perfect they are.

5. Finished The Challenge by Ed Dale. I was able to build a test site called Family Weekend Breaks and increase my Alexa ranking with my personal site www.jaicatalano.com. I am no Maurice Cox from Social Hype but I am pushing the competition over even if they are pushing me back.

4. Photographed Antony Bugg-Levine & Jed Emerson for their book Impact Investing. The book was published and is currently in stores and online now... and guess what??? My photos are on Amazon baby. Ok I am done bragging.

3. Filmed, directed, edited and submitted my Doritos Crash The Super Bowl 2012 video for a chance to win a million dollars and work with the Lonely Island Boys. My brother helped me film it and Vivian didn't yell at me for kicking them all out while I forced my kids to be in the video.

2. Won 1st place and $1000 for the web commercial I created for Secure Denture Adhesive. If my teeth fall out I know where to turn to.

and my number one best moment of 2012...

1. The birth of my daughter. I can't say watching it was the best moment but she definitely wins.

Until Tomorrow.

Jai

5 Things My Kids Will Never Get For Christmas

12/26/2011

On the way home last night my wife said let's take down the tree tomorrow. Wow... Is it all over? Every year it goes faster and faster but I guess that's what happens when you turn 21, 25, 29,... older. Anyway, I realized that times have changed and there are some things I will never buy my kids for Christmas. Below are the 6 Gifts My Kids Will Never Get For Christmas.

6. A typewriter
5. A house phone
4. VHS
3. A film camera
2. A walkman
1. Encyclopedia

Notice how there are 6 and I said there were 5. Man I am blonde...

and just as a bonus... because of technology my kids might never get another book. Imagine that.

Until tomorrow.

Jai
(headshots nyc)

10 Dirty Christmas Phrases That Were Meant To Be Clean

12/22/2011

Click To Enlarge Photo

My wife said yesterday's blog sounded angry. I was far from angry. I was just having a George Carlin moment with the word "think". If you don't know what I mean you can read it here but before you do please read it with a smile on your face and a bit of laughter in your heart.
BULLSH*T-It's Not The Thought That Counts.

And now... What we have all been waiting for. 10 Dirty Christmas Phrases that were meant to be clean.

10. You are right honey. It's a lot bigger than last year.

9. Those are some big balls.

8. Do you think Santa will come?

7. I wonder what's in Santa's sac.

6. I'll lift the skirt and you put it in.

5. I'll get on the ladder and you give it to me gently.

4. I usually suck the end first to make it pointy.

3. I can't tell if they are fake or real.

2. I love dark meat but I only eat white.

And the No.1 Dirty Christmas Phrase that was meant to be clean:

1. To get it to stand up straight, grip it with both hands.

Until Tomorrow.

Jai

BULLSH*T-It's Not The Thought That Counts

12/21/2011

Click To Enlarge Photo

I used to subscribe to the theory that it's the thought that counts because I was raised to think that very thought. But, one day I realized that I needed to rethink my thinking.

Let's face it... I don't always agree with people's thoughts. And, if they don't think about me the way I think they should think then who the hell thinks that I should be happy with their thoughtfulness around the holidays?

Yes, I agree that some people's thoughts are well thought out BUT, those are the thinkers that think like me and put me in a more thoughtful position to think harder about them around the time of year we should really share our thoughtfulness.

But for those who don't think like me and share the thoughts I think can't really think of how to show thoughtfulness to a thoughtful person like myself.

And for those people I say BULLS*T. It's not the thought that counts because that thought doesn't coincide with my thoughts which ultimately makes me think to say take your unthoughtful thoughts back and do some rethinking.

What do you think?

Until tomorrow.

Jai
(headshots NYC - Family Weekend Breaks)

My Kids Make Me F*cking Sick

12/19/2011

Saturday morning I found out that I own an American Standard toilet model number C632 2004-1 compliments of a little gift called a stomach virus from my kids. Now for the most part you might think it's all bad news when you have a stomach virus but let me tell you the 5 benefits of being sick when you have kids.

1. You don't have to take care of the kids.
2. You lose 4 to 6 unwanted pounds.
3. You can whine and get away with it.
4. You get waited on hand and foot.

and my favorite...

5. You get a rub down.

Until tomorrow.

Jai

headshots nyc

family weekend breaks

Troops In Iraq Come Home

12/15/2011

My son decided to give himself a fever and cancel all of my work plans today so I have embraced the moment by playing mom and caring for my little boy. As I watch him sleep I can't help but be moved by the fact that the troops in Iraq are coming home.

To all of those families who have their loved ones coming home and to all of the families in Iraq that are looking forward to a world without war I am so happy for you.

Happy Holidays to you all.

Jai

Please take a look at Andrea Bruce's portraits of everyday Iraqi people featured in the NY Times.